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Wikinews Shorts: September 3, 2010/Fuel tanker aground in Northwest Passage

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:40:56 GMT

Friday, September 3, 2010

No oil is reported leaking from the Woodward's Oil fuel tanker The Nanny aground in the Northwest Passage off the coast of Nunavut. The 110 metre (360 ft) tanker was carrying 9 million liters (2.4 million gallons) of diesel fuel to remote settlements in Canada's Arctic regions when it grounded on a sandbar. Last week the cruise ship Clipper Adventurer struck an uncharted rock in the same region, trapping 110 tourists and crew aboard for the two days it took the Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker to reach the ship. On August 27th another Woodward's tanker, the Mokami, ran aground near Pangnirtung.

Sources [edit]

"Fuel tanker runs aground in Canadian Arctic" — AFP, September 2, 2010
"Fuel Tanker, "Nanny" Runs Aground In Gjoa Haven, Nunavut" — NowPublic, September 2, 2010
Chris Windeyer, Nunatsiaq News. "Fuel tanker runs aground in Nunavut" — Montreal Gazette, September 2, 2010

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Greenland assumes self rule Sunday

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:53:27 GMT

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Greenland, population over 57,000, assumes the national right of self government today. The occasion will be honoured in the nation's capital, Nuuk, by the Danish monarch Queen Margrethe II, the current Head of State.

Nuuk, Greenland

With the ceremony, Kalaallisut becomes the official language of the mainly Inuit island, and Greenland will become the only country in North America where an indigenous language has official status nationwide. Newly elected Prime Minister of Greenland Kuupik Kleist will embark on an agenda of tackling social and education challenges and increasing independence.

This step follows Greenland's November referendum concerning independence from Denmark and continues the development of self government in the country. Sunday marks when Greenland is internationally recognized as an independent country with control over its natural resources, police and judicial matters. Denmark will still maintain responsibility for Greenland's foreign affairs, finances and defense.

In 1985, Greenland withdrew from the European Union, of which Denmark remains a member.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

The government has declared June 21 as Greenland's National Day, which is to be a national holiday. June 21 is also the Summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year, a day when much of Greenland will receive continuous daylight for 24 hours.

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Sources [edit]

"Self-rule introduced in Greenland" — BBC News, June 21, 2009
"Decolonising the Arctic Nearly independent day" — The Economist, June 20, 2009
"Greenland set for self-rule" — The Australian, June 19, 2009
Randy Boswell CanWest News Service. "Greenland takes big step towards full independence" — Canada.com, June 19, 2009

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Canadian trio claim South Pole record for trans-Antarctic trip

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:38:19 GMT

Saturday, January 10, 2009

MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite image of a portion of the West Antarctic coastline from about 60 degrees West (left) to about 20 degrees West (right). The image span (left to right) - The Ronne Ice Shelf and Filchner Ice Shelf (the two are separated by Berkner Island, whose outline is barely visible just left of the center of the image), and Coats Land.

Antarctica

Sources [edit]

Learn more about Antarctica and Ronne Ice Shelf on Wikipedia.

"Canadians set new record for 700-mile South Pole trek" — The Scotsman, January 10, 2009
"Ice jam: Canadians make 'fastest trek' to South Pole as Shakleton's descendants reach spot explorer abandoned trip" — Daily Mail, January, 2009
"Canadians claim South Pole record" — BBC Online, January 9, 2009
Jessica Barrett. "Trio break speed record to South Pole" — Canwest News Service, January 9, 2009
Katie Daubs. "Chelsea athlete breaks record for polar trek" — Ottawa Citizen, January 9, 2009
Kristen Gelineau. "Explorers say they set record in South Pole trek" — Associated Press, January 9, 2009
Est. "Canadian Trio Break World Record For Unaided Trip Across Antarctica To South Pole" — All Headline News, January, 2009
Canadian Ski Museum. "Richard Weber" — Skimuseum.ca, January, 2009
Ray Zahab. "Ray Zahab Official Website" — Ray Zahab, 2009
"Adventurer quits solo pole trek" — BBC Online, March 23, 2008

Canada

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Arctic ice thickness decreasing, suggests satellite data study

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:48:01 GMT

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

First definitive proof for overall decrease in Arctic ice volume

A recent study based on satellite radar altimetry indicates drastic thinning of Arctic ice during the winter of 2007. It was found that the ice thickness had been fairly constant for the five previous winters. The researchers were able to highlight widespread ice thinning in areas covered by both old and young ice. This thinning constitutes the most severe since records started being taken in the early 1990s.

The study by scientists of University College London has been published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The work provides the first definitive proof for overall decrease in Arctic ice volume, claim the authors.

The researchers have found that last winter's ice thickness represented a decrease of an average of 26 centimeters below the 2002-2008 winter average. The greatest decline of 49 centimeters was in the western Arctic, which could explain the region's becoming relatively ice-free this summer, allowing it to be open to shipping for the first time in 30 years. The record low of ice thickness during summer happened when the weather was not abnormally warm.

	About five years ago, the average projection for the sea ice disappearing was about 2080. But the ice minimums, and this evidence of melting, suggests that we should favor the models that suggest the sea ice will disappear by 2030-2040, but there is still a lot of uncertainty.
—Dr Seymour Laxon, University College London

Katharine Giles, the lead author, points out that the study used satellite data sets, which had a number of advantages over other methods. Previous studies have used measurements from drilling, or submarine and airborne surveys. These studies could be severely limited by time and space. The present study utilized continuous, all-weather, day-and-night radar altimeter data from the European Space Agency's Envisat satellite. The study measured ice thickness from October to March, 2007, over more than half of the Arctic.

There has been considerable uncertainty over the causes of ice loss in the Arctic. It has been debated that ice could have been piled up against the coast, thus reducing the sea ice extent. Measurements of the ice thickness, as in the present study, give definite proof for ice melting. "So this means melting; it doesn't mean that the ice has just been pushed up against the coastline," remark Seymour Laxon, co-author of the paper.

The conclusions of the study can help predict what could happen with the ice cover in future. Deflection of sunlight by the Arctic ice cap could be reduced, leading to larger areas of water, which can absorb heat. Warmer temperatures will in turn promote more ice melting. "About five years ago, the average projection for the sea ice disappearing was about 2080", said Dr Laxon. "But the ice minimums, and this evidence of melting, suggests that we should favor the models that suggest the sea ice will disappear by 2030-2040, but there is still a lot of uncertainty."

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Sources [edit]

Mark Kinver. "Arctic ice thickness 'plummets'" — BBC News Online, October 28, 2008
Paul Eccleston. "Arctic ice thickness drops by up to 19 per cent" — The Telegraph, October 28, 2008
Juliette Jowit. "Big decline in depth of Arctic winter sea ice" — The Guardian, October 28, 2008

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73M-year-old fossilized fish found in Canada

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:55:36 GMT

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Canada

Sources [edit]

Randy Boswell. "Arctic fossil ield yields sea serpents, shark teeth" — Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, August 22, 2008
"Life In A Temperate Polar Sea: A Unique Taphonomic Window On The Structure Of A Late Cretaceous Arctic Marine Ecosystem" — Medical News Today, August 20, 2008
Dave Grant. "Coral Reef Fossils - Devon Island, Canada: Plankton, Seabirds and Icebergs" — Brookdale Community College, August 2006

Karen Chin, John Bloch, Justin Tweet, Jaelyn Eberle, Stephen Cumbaa. Benthic-pelagic coupling in the upper Cretaceous high arctic; evidence from a suite of unusual polar coprolites. Geological Society of America, 2004; Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 36, No. 5: 380.

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Canadian military exercise NANOOK 2008 travels through uncharted waters

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 04:35:21 GMT

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Canada

Source [edit]

"Ambulances, helicopters buzz around Iqaluit as Operation NANOOK wraps up" — CBC News, August 25, 2008
Andrew Mayeda. "DND/CF" — National Defence and the Canadian Forces, August 19, 2008
"Media Advisory: Canadian Forces Launch Operation NANOOK 2008" — MSNBC Wire Services - msnbc.com, Aug. 19, 2008
"Fletcher Attends Launch Of Operation NANOOK 2008" — Charleswood–St. James–Assiniboia, Aug. 19, 2008
"Calendar of Events - Veterans Affairs Canada" — The Canadian Press, August 19, 2008
Bob Weber. "Military, civilian agencies practise for maritime disasters in Arctic manoeuvres" — The Canadian Press, August 17, 2008
"CTV.ca" — The Canadian Press, Aug. 16 2008
"NationTalk - Canadian Forces and Partners operate in the Eastern Arctic - General - Native Newswire" — Media Advisory NationTalk, August 6, 2008
"NANOOK of the North" — The Canadian Press, July 24, 2008

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The North Pole may possibly be ice free by summer

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:48:29 GMT

Saturday, June 28, 2008

An azimuthal map of the North Pole

The National Snow and Ice Data Center based in Boulder, Colorado said that there will be a 50% chance that the already thin ice on the North Pole will melt away this September as a result of the on-going global warming.

The center's senior researcher Mark Serreze said that in September of 2007, ice on the north pole retreated to record levels, opening the Northwest Passage for the first time in shipping history.

Serreze added that every year, ice in the North pole has been thinning year after year. The scenario where the pole will be ice free will depend on this year's weather and climatic conditions.

The center observed that the last year's weather conditions in the north were sufficient to clear the lanes of the Northwest passage and for this year, the situation will be depending on what the weather will be.

He also assured the public that the lack of ice in that region should not concern everyone since it won't be bringing any immediate consequences. He said, "the North Pole is just another point in the globe, but it does have this symbolic meaning. There's supposed to be ice at the North Pole. The fact that we may not have any by the end of this summer could be quite a symbolic change."

The scenario of an ice-less Arctic has been seen as far back as five years ago but the rate of melting was not expected to happen in a matter of five years.

Serreze also corrected those saying that the melting of Arctic ice is just part of a "historic cycle."

He adds that as far back as 30 years ago, their earliest climate models have suggested that the very first sign of an impact from global warming would have been the melting of Arctic ice.

Their studies also reveal that the ice could return given conditions wherein the planet will cool down.

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Sources [edit]

Alan Duke. "North Pole could be ice-free this summer, scientists say" — CNN, June 27, 2008
Andrea Thompson. "Thin Ice: The Arctic Meltdown Explained" — Live Science, June 27, 2008

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US says polar bears are threatened species

Wed, 14 May 2008 23:58:56 GMT

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

A mother polar bear and her cub in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Image: Alan D. Wilson.

The United States Department of the Interior today listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), due to the melting of Arctic sea ice that is the bears' habitat. The announcement of the listing was made by Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne.

In making the announcement, Kempthorne said he wishes to prevent further losses of polar bears, but he warned against using the Endangered Species Act to "regulate greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles, power plants, and other sources", which he called "a wholly inappropriate use of the ESA law."

Kempthorne says the Interior Department will apply separate rules from the Marine Mammal Protection Act to the polar bear, which will permit flexibility in economic development as long as the survival of the species is not adversely affected. Kempthorne said the policies "will ensure the protection of the bear while allowing us to continue to develop our natural resources in the Arctic region in an environmentally sound way."

Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior, says that "the loss of sea ice, not oil and gas development" is what threatens the polar bear.

The Government of Nunavut fears the decision could lead to a ban on the importation of polar bear hides into the United States. As a result the Nunavut economy could suffer. The polar bear hunt generates $1.5 million (US) per year in revenue.

Carl Pope, director of the environmentalist Sierra Club, criticized the Interior Department's decision, saying it was "riddled with loopholes, caveats and backhanded language that could actually undermine protections for the polar bear and other species".

The government was forced to make a decision regarding the polar bear by May 15, after environmental groups sued the George W. Bush administration for failing to meet a January 9 deadline. The administration was accused of postponing the decision as a way to allow for more Alaskan oil and gas drilling.

The purpose of the Endangered Species Act is to protect species that may be in danger of extinction as a result of human action. It aims to achieve this by regulating federal activity in the habitat of threatened species. Commercial activity is not directly regulated, but companies must receive a permit for development in designated habitats.

The polar bear is the first animal to be protected under the Endangered Species Act due to the threat that global warming poses to the bears' Arctic habitat. Some environmental groups say they could use the designation to protest the construction of coal power plants located thousands of miles away from the Arctic, which they blame for contributing to greenhouse gases and global warming.

However, Barton H. Thompson Jr., a law professor at Stanford University, says that such lawsuits would be difficult to win. "Interior has a reasonable case here that the connection [between greenhouse gas emmissions and polar bears] is just too far removed," he says.

If sea ice continues to melt, two-thirds of the polar bear population could be gone by 2050, according to studies released by the United States Geological Survey last September. Also, Louis Fortier of the Canadian research group ArcticNet believes the Arctic Ocean could be ice-free in the summers by 2010.

But M. Reed Hopper of the Pacific Legal Foundation, a property-rights group, disputes the notion that the polar bear is severely threatened. He says the government used "speculative computer modeling" to make its decision, and he plans to sue the Interior Department. "Never before has a thriving species been listed under the Environmental Species Act, nor should it be," he said.

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Sources [edit]

Wikipedia has more about this subject:

Environmental Protection Act

"Interior’s Kempthorne: Protect Bears, Prevent Harm to Economy" — The Wall Street Journal, May 14, 2008
Marsha Walton. "Polar bear now listed as 'threatened' species" — CNN, May 14, 2008
Adam Satariano. "Polar Bear Gets Threatened Status Because of Warming" — Bloomberg L.P., May 14, 2008
Felicity Barringer. "Polar Bear Is Made a Protected Species" — The New York Times, May 14, 2008
Elana Schor. "US declares polar bears threatened" — The Guardian, May 14, 2008
Colin Campbell, Kate Lunau. "The war over the polar bear" — Maclean's, January 25, 2008
"Hunting and Conservation - a Nordic Perspective" — CIC Wildlife, October 25, 2004

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NASA: Old Arctic sea ice continues to melt

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:45:56 GMT

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

This ice concentration map dated March 9, 2008, indicates maximum ice extent in the Northern Hemisphere and the contour of the ice edge in 2006 (when the maximum extent was least extensive during the satellite era) is shown in red while that for the 28-year average is shown in gold.
Image: NASA.

NASA has stated that recent satellite images have shown that despite an unusually cold winter in the Arctic, the old or perennial ice on both the North and South Poles has continued to melt while the level of 'new ice' has increased as compared to last March.

On March 18 the scientists said they believe that the increased area of sea ice this winter is due to recent weather conditions, while the decline in perennial ice reflects the longer-term warming climate trend and is a result of increased melting during summer and greater movement of the older ice out of the Arctic.

According to NASA-processed microwave data, whereas perennial ice used to cover 50-60 percent of the Arctic, this year it covers less than 30 percent. Very old ice that remains in the Arctic for at least six years comprised over 20 percent of the Arctic area in the mid to late 1980s, but this winter it decreased to just six percent.

"Although this March the area is slightly larger than last March, the area of [thick] perennial ice has reached an all time low. So the volume of Arctic ice continues to decrease," said NASA's Cryospheric Sciences Program manager Seelye Martin.

Arctic sea ice grows and declines seasonally, ranging from an average minimum extent in September of 2.5 million square miles (6.5 million squeare km) to an average winter maximum extent of 5.9 million square miles (15.3 million square km) in March. This March, instruments on NASA’s Aqua satellite and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the United States Defense Department satellites showed the maximum sea ice extent slightly increased by 3.9 percent over that of the previous three years, but it is still below the long-term average by 2.2 percent. Increases in ice extent occurred in areas where surface temperatures were colder than the historical averages. At the same time, as a result of the export of ice from the Arctic, the area of perennial ice decreased to an all-time minimum.

Joey Comiso of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., the lead author of a 2007 related study, used data from NASA's passive microwave data set to establish that the perennial ice cover at the summer Arctic ice minimum in 2007 was about 40 percent less than the 28-year average. According to the latest observations from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (an organization partially funded by NASA), perennial sea ice dropped from about 40 percent of the total ice pack last year to 30 percent of total ice this winter. The perennial ice is also growing younger, meaning that it is thinner and will be more vulnerable during the summer melt period.

According to Walt Meier of the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder, as ice ages it continues to grow and thicken, so that older ice is generally also thicker ice. This winter the ice cover is much thinner overall and thus in a more vulnerable state heading into the summer melt season.

"It's becoming thinner and thinner and much more susceptible to melting during the summer - much more likely to melt away. It may look OK on the surface, but it's like looking at a Hollywood movie set - you see the facade of a building and it looks OK, but if you look behind it, there's no building there," said Meier.

NASA’s ICESat satellite has contributed to understanding of the changes in ice thickness. To get a better understanding of the behavior of sea ice, NASA is planning a follow-on satellite mission, ICESat II, to launch in 2015.

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Sources [edit]

Richard Black. "Arctic losing long-term ice cover" — BBC News Online, March 18, 2008
"Researchers Say Arctic Sea Ice Still at Risk Despite Cold Winter" — NASA, March 18, 2008

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Seeds placed in Norwegian vault as agricultural 'insurance policy'

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:59:46 GMT

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

File:Svalbard vault mountain cutaway.jpg

Artist's conception of the vault.
Image: Global Crop Diversity Trust.

File:Svalbard Global Seed Vault main entrance 1.jpg

The entrance to the vault.
Image: Global Crop Diversity Trust.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a vault containing millions of seeds from all over the world, saw its first deposits on Tuesday. Located 800 kilometers from the North Pole on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, the vault has been referred to by European Commission president José Manuel Barroso as a "frozen Garden of Eden". It is intended to preserve crop supplies and secure biological diversity in the event of a worldwide disaster.

"The opening of the seed vault marks a historic turning point in safeguarding the world’s crop diversity," said Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust which is in charge of collecting the seed samples. The Norwegian government, who owns the bank, built it at a cost of $9.1 million.

At the opening ceremony, 100 million seeds from 268,000 samples were placed inside the vault, where there is room for over 2 billion seeds. Each of the samples originated from a different farm or field, in order to best ensure biological diversity. These crop seeds included such staples as rice, potatoes, barley, lettuce, maize, sorghum, and wheat. No genetically modified crops were included. (Beyond politics they are generally sterile so of no use.)

	It is very important for Africa to store seeds here because anything can happen to our national seed banks.
—Wangari Maathai

Constructed deep inside a mountain and protected by concrete walls, the "doomsday vault" is designed to withstand earthquakes, nuclear warfare, and floods resulting from global warming. Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg called it an "insurance policy" against such threats.

With air-conditioned temperatures of -18 degrees Celsius, experts say the seeds could last for an entire millennium. Some crops will be able to last longer, like sorghum, which the Global Crop Diversity Trust says can last almost 20 millenniums. Even if the refrigeration system fails, the vaults are expected to stay frozen for 200 years.

The Prime Minister said, "With climate change and other forces threatening the diversity of life that sustains our planet, Norway is proud to be playing a central role in creating a facility capable of protecting what are not just seeds, but the fundamental building blocks of human civilization." Stoltenberg, along with Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize laureate Wangari Maathai, made the first deposit of rice to the vault.

"It is very important for Africa to store seeds here because anything can happen to our national seed banks," Maathai said. The vault will operate as a bank, allowing countries to use their deposited seeds free of charge. It will also serve as a backup to the thousands of other seed banks around the world.

"Crop diversity will soon prove to be our most potent and indispensable resource for addressing climate change, water and energy supply constraints and for meeting the food needs of a growing population," Cary Fowler said.

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Sources [edit]

Lewis Smith. "Doomsday vault for world’s seeds is opened under Arctic mountain" — The Times, February 26, 2008
Doug Mellgren. "'Doomsday' Seed Vault Opens in Arctic" — Associated Press, February 26, 2008
John Acher. "Noah's ark for crop seeds opens in Arctic Norway" — Reuters, February 26, 2008
"Svalbard Global Seed Vault opened" — The Norway Post, February 26, 2008
Vittorio Hernandez. "Vault In Norway Houses Global Seed Samples" — All Headline News, February 26, 2008

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Police officer shot dead in Canadian Arctic community

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:18:01 GMT

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

RCMP Constable Douglas Allen Scott.
Image: RCMP.

Constable Douglas Scott, 20, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was shot to death late Monday night while answering a call about an impaired driver. The incident took place in the community of Kimmirut in Canada's northern territory of Nunavut.

Constable Scott, who had been on the job for six months, is the second northern Canadian RCMP officer killed on duty in just under a month. On October 6, Constable Christopher Worden was shot and killed while responding to a call in Hay River, in the Northwest Territories.

Scott is survived by his parents, Doug and Marla, as well as his siblings and grandparents. His parents live near Brockville, Ontario.

RCMP Commanding Officer "V" (Nunavut) Division Marty Cheliak expressed the police force's shock and sadness at the shooting. "The death of any of our members is deeply felt, but when once again it occurs in one of our close-knit northern communities, the pain of that loss seems even greater," said Cheliak in a statement. "Our hearts also go out to the community of Kimmirut and to everyone who knew Doug."

Cheliak provided the following timeline of events:

Baffin Island, Nunavut, showing location of Kimmirut.

"At 10:56 p.m., Cst. Scott was called to respond to a complaint of a possible impaired driver.

At 11:02 p.m. Cst. Scott radioed “V” (Nunavut) Division telecoms to say that he was following up on the call for service.

Shortly thereafter, “V” Division telecoms attempted to contact Cst. Scott, but received no response.

At 11:31 a second member from the detachment was advised by local residents that [the officer] had responded to a report of an impaired driver and that the driver had crashed into a residence. Upon arrival at the scene, it was found that [Constable Scott] had been shot.

At 11:45 p.m. “V” division’s Emergency Response Team was mobilized.

	Constable Scott tragically lost his life while protecting the people of his community and will be remembered for his courage, bravery and dedication.
—Prime Minister Stephen Harper

At 11:56 p.m. it was confirmed that the suspect had entered his own residence.

At 4:10 a.m. the suspect surrendered to police without incident and was taken into custody."

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued a statement on the death of Scott on Tuesday. “I wish to pay tribute to Constable Doug Scott, who died tragically in the line of duty in Kimmirut, Nunavut," said Harper. "On behalf of Canadians, I extend my sincere sympathy to the family, friends and fellow colleagues of Constable Scott. We are forever grateful that young men and women like Constable Scott continue to respond to the call of duty often working under extreme circumstances, and in conditions of great danger."

The suspect in the shooting, Pingoatuk (Ping) Kolola of Kimmirut, Nunavut, has since been transported via RCMP aircraft to Iqaluit where he remains in custody. He has been charged with first degree murder.

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Sources [edit]

Press Release: "Iqaluit RCMP Lay Charges in Death of Cst. Scott" — RCMP, November 7, 2007
Press Release: "RCMP Member killed on duty in Kimmirut, Nunavut" — RCMP, November 6, 2007
"RCMP officer shot to death in Nunavut hamlet" — CBC News, November 6, 2007
Press Release: "Statement by Prime Minister Stephen Harper on the death of Constable Douglas Scott" — Office of the Prime Minister, November 6, 2007

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Arctic ice levels at record low opening Northwest Passage

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 00:22:52 GMT

Sunday, September 16, 2007

This animation is comprised of Envisat ASAR mosaics of the Arctic Ocean for 2005, 2006 and 2007 and highlights the changes in sea ice. The ice-free areas appear as dark gray and the sea ice areas as light gray.
Image: ESA.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), 200 satellite images from the Danish National Space Center (DNSC) indicate that the Arctic ice levels are at an all time low, since the first images taken in 1978, and as a result the Northwest Passage has completely opened up for the first time since humans began to record history.

The images have shown the melting of the ice has "dramatically increased" more than previously thought and that by 2030, all of the summer ice could be gone with the region being completely ice free by 2070. Researchers call it an "extreme" situation and say that the ice is now shrinking at a level of about three million square kilometers a year, up from one million square kilometers per year in 2005.

"The strong reduction in just one year certainly raises flags that the ice may disappear much sooner than expected," said DNSC spokesman Leif Toudal Pedersen in a statement.

The new findings have put Canada and the United States at a standoff, both laying claim to the passage because it could be a valuable resource for the shipping industry. The passage goes through the boundaries of both nations. In 1985 diplomatic relations on the passage were strained after a U.S. icebreaker passed through without the U.S. notifying Canadian officials.

As a result, the Canadian military is building two new bases at both ends of the areas they claim to be theirs. There will also be at least six new naval patrol ships built, that will be stationed in the passage.

The U.S. claims that regardless which country boundaries the passage passes through, the waterway should be open to anyone who wants to use it.

"We believe it's an international passage," said U.S. President George W. Bush.

Denmark, Norway, and Russia all also lay claim to the vast amounts of minerals, natural gas, and oil.

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Sources [edit]

Wikipedia has more about this subject:

Northwest Passage#Effects of climate change

Gethin Chamberlain. "Ice melts opening up Northwest Passage" — Telegraph.co.uk, September 15, 2007
Jamey Keaten. "Arctic Ice Melt Opens Northwest Passage" — Associated Press, September 15, 2007

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Russia claims North Pole by planting flag on seabed

Sat, 04 Aug 2007 20:47:37 GMT

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Underwater depth map of the Arctic Ocean, showing the Lomonosov Ridge running from the New Siberian Islands over the North Pole to the Canadian Arctic islands.

Russian expedition Arktika 2007 made the first descent to the ocean bottom below the North Pole, and planted a titanium flag of Russia on the seabed.

Submarines have in the past traveled below the Arctic ice cap, but this is the first time man has reached the seabed below the North Pole. The Mir-1 and a second Mir-2 submarine face the challenge of diving 13,980 feet (4,261 metres) deep, and then having to resurface at the exact location where they've submerged, because they are not strong enough to penetrate the ice themselves. The nuclear ice-breaker vessel Rossiya is keeping the ice open for the research ship and the submarines.

The expedition ship Akademik Fyodorov is carrying over 100 scientists to the North Pole. "Apart from the purely scientific goal of a comprehensive study of the climate and seabed at the North Pole, this expedition may help Russia to enlarge its territory by more than one million square kilometers," the Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute said. The mini-submarine Mir-1 has successfully reached the Arctic seabed. "Our mission is to remind the whole world that Russia is a great polar and research power," said expedition leader and deputy speaker of the Russian parliament Artur Chilingarov, who has been named presidential envoy to the Arctic by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Political reactions [edit]

Some Western politicians have portrayed the planting of Russia's flag on the seabed as Russia's territorial claim. Canada, the United States, Norway and Denmark (through Greenland) have an Exclusive Economic Zone 200 miles north of their Arctic coastline, established under international laws. Russia is claiming a larger area, extending to the North Pole, saying that a continental shelf called the Lomonosov Ridge runs from Siberia on the Arctic seabed to the North Pole. As such, it would be an extension of Russian territory.

	This isn't the 15th century. You can't go around the world and just plant flags and say 'We're claiming this territory'
—Peter MacKay, Foreign Minister of Canada

In 2001, Russia made a case with the United Nations to extend its boundaries to the Arctic, but the U.N. requested more scientific data to strengthen the Russian case. The current mission is collecting evidence to submit another request in 2009, under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Canada and Denmark last year sent out a joint mission to establish whether the Lomonosov Ridge is connected to their territories, and Norway is investigating this possibility too. Last May, U.S. senator Richard Lugar (Rep, Indiana) said that it would be difficult to negotiate about Russia's claims as long as the U.S. has not ratified the Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that any issues about Russia's claims would be resolved "in strict compliance with international law."

The claimed territory could contain undiscovered natural resources such as oil and gas, media sources speculate.

Sources [edit]

Wikipedia has more about this subject:

2007 Russian North Pole expedition

Tony Halpin. "Russia launches bid for Arctic mineral riches" — Times Online, August 2, 2007
ITN. "Russia 'claims North Pole'" — Channel 4 (United Kingdom), August 2, 2007
Guy Faulconbridge. "Russian sub plants flag under North Pole" — Reuters, August 2, 2007

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Man becomes first to swim at North Pole

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:35:34 GMT

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Lewis Gordon Pugh, 37, a man from the United Kingdom has become the first person to swim at the North pole. The water, 29 degrees F (-1.8 C), is believed to be the coldest waters any human has ever swam in on the planet.

"I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy. A triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole," said Pugh who swam 0.6 miles in just under 19 minutes through cracks in icebergs.

Pugh says he swam at the North Pole to demonstrate the effects that global warming is playing on the Earth and is hoping that his act will gain the attention of leaders from around the world.

"The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world. I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic — these creatures are on the front line up here," added Pugh.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which sponsored the swim, states that the only reason Pugh was able to swim in the freezing waters was due to global warming.

"[The swim was] a bittersweet victory, as this swim has only been possible because of climate change," said WWF U.K. spokesman, Colin Butfield. The waters were completely frozen ten years ago and the swim would have been impossible to complete.

Pugh has also swum in the waters of Antarctica where he was credited to being the only person to swim so far south earning him the nickname "The Polar Bear." Pugh also swam the Indian Ocean.

"It was frightening. The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire. I was in excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few occasions. It was without doubt the hardest swim of my life," added Pugh.

Sources [edit]

"Frigid 18-minute swim at the North Pole highlights threat of climate change" — Edmonton Sun, July 16, 2007
"Man Becomes First To Swim At North Pole" — CBS News, July 16, 2007

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Study: Arctic ice could be gone by 2020

Wed, 02 May 2007 23:25:32 GMT

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Climate change

Sources [edit]

Deborah Zabarenko. "Arctic ice cap melting 30 years ahead of forecast" — Reuters, May 2, 2007
"Arctic melt worse than predictions" — CNN, May 2, 2007
Press Release: "Models Underestimate Loss of Arctic Sea Ice" — NSIDC, April 30, 2007

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English Wikinews RSS feed.

Wikinews Shorts: September 3, 2010/Fuel tanker aground in Northwest Passage

Sources [edit]

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Arctic ice thickness decreasing, suggests satellite data study

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73M-year-old fossilized fish found in Canada

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Canadian military exercise NANOOK 2008 travels through uncharted waters

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US says polar bears are threatened species

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Arctic ice levels at record low opening Northwest Passage

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Russia claims North Pole by planting flag on seabed

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Man becomes first to swim at North Pole

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